


Ridiculous Resolutions

by fractionallyfoxtrot



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: F/M, New Year's Eve, New Year's Resolutions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-03
Updated: 2013-01-03
Packaged: 2017-11-23 12:21:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/622089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fractionallyfoxtrot/pseuds/fractionallyfoxtrot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the eve of a new year, Herc asks Carolyn if she plans to make any resolutions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ridiculous Resolutions

Herc brushed up alongside Carolyn as he offered her a glass of what she assumed was champagne.

However, as they were attending the Fitton Airfield New Year’s Eve party, the bubbly, golden liquid was being offered to her in a paper cup with flimsy fold out handles. She accepted with a murmur of thanks and a hint of a smile before turning her attention back to the countdown preparations. Which, again, as they were attending the Fitton Airfield New Year’s Eve party, looked to be an elaborate stunt involving George dropping from the air traffic control tower through a complicated series of ropes and pulleys while dressed as Baby New Year.

Carolyn imagined that would teach him to take bets with certain airdot pilots.

“Resolutions?” Herc asked.

Carolyn took a sip of her drink, which was, indeed, champagne while she considered her answer. Herc chuckled at Carl’s dedication to securing a top hat to George’s balding head.

“Resolutions would imply that there was something about myself that needed improving,” Carolyn mused, taking another, longer, drink. “Do you think-”

“Of course not,” Herc interrupted. Carolyn could hear the smirk rising on his face. “We both know that there’s nothing about you that needs improving.” Herc slid an arm around her waist, pulling her flush up beside him. “Nothing at all,” he whispered in her ear, his tone softer, less smarmy, with a sincerity he reserved for only their more intimate moments.

Carolyn raised her cup to her lips to hide her threatening smile.

“And what about you, Captain Shipwright?” she asked, looking up at him. “Did you make any resolutions for the new year?” Carolyn’s grin grew sharky but Herc held his ground and his grasp on her. “Perhaps to abandon certain annoying dietary restrictions? Or to embrace the splendor of certain wool-bearing creatures?”

“No, none of that nonsense,” Herc scoffed. He took a drink and paused to look down at his cup. “Although,” he said thoughtfully, “I may resolve to spend more time walking certain ridiculous dogs.”

“She’s not ridiculous,” Carolyn argued.

“I said nothing about your ridiculous dog,” he replied quickly.

Herc raised an eyebrow, trying to appear aloof. Carolyn was happily unconvinced.

“Well,” she said, taking her paper cup in both hands, “even though we both agree that there’s nothing about me that needs improving, I may, _may_ ,” she stressed as Herc’s expression grew in interest, “resolve to attend more than one ridiculous opera a year.”

“Six,” Herc suggested.

“Four,” she countered.

“Deal.”

They raised a toast to each other with their paper cups and finished the last of their champagne.

At the top of the control tower, Dave dropped a sash over George’s head. Phil straightened the diaper taped around the engineer’s waist. Dirk rounded up the rest of the party goers on the ground and started the countdown.

“Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!”

Herc folded their cups and slipped them into his pocket. His other arm joined his first at Carolyn’s waist, wrapping her wholly in his embrace.

“Happy New Year, Carolyn,” he wished, drawing her close.

“Six! Five! Four!”

“Happy New Year, Herc,” she said, touching a hand to his face.

“Three! Two! _One!_ ”

Cheering broke out around them as Carolyn met Herc in a kiss. She pushed forward, one hand curled around Herc’s neck, the other grasping at his jacket, as Carolyn sought the underlying passion of the man who filled a role in her life that, though loathe to admit it, she’d feared would remain empty after the disaster that was Gordon Shappey. Herc obliged her but with a twist, leaving her lips just long enough to drop Carolyn into a dip.

It was a soppy, romantic gesture that Carolyn was going to let him get away with just this once.

Herc returned to her lips with the passion and underlying care that made every aching aria worth her while.

Neither of them noticed the sound of a conference pear groaning in pain as it hit the tarmac.


End file.
